Yes, this is my birthday week, but last week we feted our darling Danny at McCormick and Schmick’s with some yummy seafood. There were 10 of us and we just gathered, drank, laughed and enjoyed our plates of seafood. I think the photos (snapped by our friend, Eric Rice) say it all.
A special menu with a special message for our birthday boy.
Our group
Holly, Eric and Me
My sweeties John and Danny
My boys and me sharing a giggle.
Patrick and Andrew.
Eric, Danny and Bruce
Bruce, Danny and Sweet Rose
It was a fabulous night with some of my most favorites!
Welp, today’s the day. The day we make those who are so special to us feel even more special. This does not mean you have to have a significant other – or more specifically, it means that a significant other can mean lots of different things.
It could be your best friend, your child, your dog. Doesn’t matter. Just give someone you love a big hug and enjoy the day together. And tonight, cook up something special.
Eric and I love to cook together and it’s a rare occasion on a weeknight. But tonight at our house it will be crab cakes and pasta with cream sauce, fresh green salad and lemon souffle for dessert. Crab cakes are one of those fab dishes that are super easy and impress everyone. Just add bubbly! Here is a great recipe from Miss Paula Deen, who knows what we southerners like. I would omit the bell peppers, but that’s just me. And I would let the cakes rest in the fridge before I dipped them in flour and fried them, just to make sure they keep their shape. And one more note: I like buying big king crab legs instead of the canned crab. This way I know where the meat came from and there is less chance of shells. You just cut them up the middle and pull out the crab meat. Easy peasy.
Paula Deen's Crab Cakes, Courtesy of Food Network.com
Ingredients
1 pound crabmeat, picked free of shells
1/3 cup crushed crackers (recommended: Ritz)
3 green onions (green and white parts), finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped bell pepper
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 egg
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
Dash cayenne pepper
Flour, for dusting
1/2 cup peanut oil
Favorite dipping sauce, for serving
Directions
In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients, except for the flour and peanut oil. Shape into patties and dust with flour.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot, carefully place crab cakes, in batches, in pan and fry until browned, about 4 to 5 minutes. Carefully flip crab cakes and fry on other side until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Serve warm with preferred sauce.
Don’t they sound good? See? Now go impress your loved ones. And don’t bother baking – let your neighborhood bakery do the work.
Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!
xoxo, Patti
Today blogging to Ella Fitzgerald – That Old Black Magic
Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day my angels! And if by chance you are getting engaged, you are going to have a ton to think about. How about two tickets to The Wedding Experience, being held on February 26, in downtown Atlanta? With Michelle and Byron’s engagement party last night to helping plan Valerie and Jay’s reception in September, I have had weddings on the brain.
The Wedding Experience is perfect for newly engaged couples to jump
start their journey down the aisle, featuring seminars geared toward
helping couples plan a successful wedding. The day will consist of
seminar sessions, table inspiration designs, and lunch.
Attending engaged couples will have the chance to win a weekend stay
at Watercolor Inn & Resort! The prize includes two night’s
accommodations for two PLUS dinner at Fish Out of Water($100 value)!
Cost is $15 per person or $25 per couple. Brides who purchase their
tickets by February 18th will be entered in a drawing to win a set of
Tiffany & Co. champagne flutes.
Register to attend at http://studiowedexperience.eventbrite.com/
Wouldn’t it be great to have a group of professionals guide you in the right direction and give you some inspiration? Leave me a comment and we’ll pick our winner on Wednesday!
xoxo, Patti
Today blogging to The Shirelles – Going To The Chapel of Love
You know when I get together with my buddy Barry, it’s time for fun. Yesterday was no different. We put together a teaser video for my friends at Beka Cookware. The Beka cookware is fast becoming my favorite go-to. With pots and pans that literally wipe clean, they are saving me tons of time in the kitchen. I can’t wait to show you how to throw a party with their chic fondue set or the gorgeous tajine. Both perfect gift ideas, by the way. But in the meantime, here’s a little Valentine’s Love Letter from Barry and I, to our friends at Beka. Which can be purchased on Amazon. Go for it!
Wait til they see the video with the dancers. Oh boy.
Happy Valentine’s Day, Beka – you make everyday special for me! And special thanks to Olivia, my neighbor, who got locked out of her house yesterday and ended up filming for us. You know how Barry and I love our guest stars!
oxox, Patti
With Valentine’s Day right around the bend, I bet you are trying to decide how to impress your sweetheart, yes? I have a couple of ideas that will thrill couples or singles (after all, why not celebrate the friends that are always there for you?)
My fab friend Maura over at 365 Atlanta (however does she find such cool things for us every.single.day?) has the perfect idea for tonight – a Champagne Tasting…for $15 dollars!!!! Sign me up. Pack up all your favorites in the car and pop on up to Dunwoody to Alon’s for this evening of bubbly fun!
Ok, you have your bubbly all picked out – but why just pour a plain glass of champagne when you can glam it up? My sweet friend Jamie in NYC is shaking things up with Corzo Tequila and champagne – my buddies in the big city sure know how to do it right!! Here’s a special cocktail that is sure to make your valentine giddy! Oh, and don’t forget to save a bit of your Corzo Tequila for the exciting recipe after this one!
A blush drink for your blushing Valentine.
Corzo Amor
1 part of Corzo Silver Rose petals and Hibiscus infusion
3/4 part Elderflower liqueur (St. Germain)
Top with Champagne
Serve in a champagne glass and finish with a lemon twist.
Where to find Hibiscus flowers: Any Latin American market or health store.
Where to find Rose petals: Any Latin American market (Rosa de Castilla dry).
Aw, criminy, does the boss have you working late tonight and you can’t make the champagne tasting? Well, that’s okay, Sugar, I have an ultra cool idea you can do at home. I adore this idea and I am just unhappy I didn’t think of it first. It is so brilliant.
Gorgeous Naomi over at Bakers Royale is whipping up these insanely fab treats for her friend’s parties. Take a look.
They’re jello shooters, y’all!!! OMG, aren’t they the coolest things ever? Naomi has also fashioned shooters to look like lemon wedges and rock candy. She is today’s big blog crush.
Whoever you make these for is bound to feel very, very special indeed. Go ahead, impress your lovey!
What have you planned for Valentine’s Day?
xoxo, Patti
Today blogging to Frank Sinatra – My Funny Valentine
Ok, I’m all refreshed after taking the day after Super Bowl to tidy up and plan what I am going to do with the leftovers. I thought you might enjoy seeing how we celebrated. Join our party!
Whooo Hooo! It is Super Bowl Weekend! Second only to Christmas and the Academy Awards (Feb. 27, if you were wondering). The most fun time for everyone to get together, eat, drink and holler at the television.
Everyone is coming to our house this year and we have asked everyone to bring an appetizer to share and some booze. You need booze for a good Super Bowl party. Just ask Don Draper.
Or, you could ask our resident NYC party-girl-about-town, Esther, who is always coming up with the tastiest cocktails. This time they are hilariously named after players from both the Packers and the Steelers. Just in time for Sunday.
If you live in Georgia, please remember to buy your libations on Saturday. When are they going to lift these blue laws already?
Since Shane’s cake turned out so well, I thought I would go for it for Kerry and Ryan’s birthday dinner on Friday night. Oh, it was so good!
We kept this a small affair – only five of us. Arancini started the night right. If you have never had these, they are risotto balls stuffed with cheese and fried. Oh my golly. And I won’t lie, I bought these beauties at Trader Joe’s – less cooking for me! Yay!
They’re bigger in person. Anyhoo, the menu was rack of lamb, pesto mashed potatoes and a veggie medley. That veggie medley also came from Trader Joe’s, but it was not so tasty, so lets not mention it again, shall we?
Last week my good friend and neighbor, Shane, celebrated a landmark birthday. Yes, he is now 21……
And of course, all the neighbors were there to toast him. We love a good party, you know. So Shane ordered up some pizza, we brought wine and beer and showed up. We are always good for bringing the adult beverages. We’re good like that.
With my buddy Shane.
I even made a cake. Now, I know what you’re thinking…really? After two misfires? Yes, really. And it turned out well. Looks like my cake mojo is back! Although I have a beef with one Miss Betty Crocker. I picked up the cake decorating tube in a nice yellow only to get it home and read that I need a Betty Crocker frosting tip to use with it. What? Really Betty Crocker? I think not. So I wrote it out freehand, sans the silly little cake tip I was told I needed. It was legible. That’s all I will say.
Not so bad.
Shane seemed happy enough with it.
And so we gathered and ate pizza and cake, washed down by wine and beer. A good time was had by all.
Lovely photo of Valerie and Shane....
...photobombed by Justin. lol
Tracy and Crystal
Jay and Rick
The guys enjoy a slice.
Humphrey was so good all night!
It was another great night in the neighborhood. Happy Birthday, Shane!
xoxo, Patti
Today blogging to the Paul Weston Orchestra – The Theme From Shane
Wasn’t yesterday with Arlynn fun? She is such a delight.
And since she was such a love to write such a wonderful post, I am going to keep it short today and talk about tacos. Tacos are Eric’s favorite food. I like them, too, but I am more partial to pizza.
The other day I gazed into my refrigerator to see what I could conjure up for lunch. Um….slack jawed and uninspired, I stared. And then it hit me. I saw some chorizo I had just picked up, spied a hunk of queso, there’s some sour cream and we even have salsa verde! Hot diggity. I always try to keep tortillas on hand and so I fished those out of the pantry. Voila!
Eric joined me in the kitchen and diced up an onion to go with the chorizo frying in the pan. I heated up the tortillas over the flame on the stove (it’s fun! it’s like camping inside!) Not too long after, we were gobbling down some of the tastiest tacos I have ever had.
One fine meal.
Life’s funny like that. When you least expect it, the tastiest treat comes out of nowhere.
I hope your day is full of unexpected pleasures, Darlings.
